Matriarch Highlights Turf Festival Finale

[Wandering Eyes]

The FanDuel Racing Turf Festival concludes Sunday afternoon with a trio of graded events at Del Mar, topped by an intriguing renewal of the GI Matriarch Stakes over a mile.

Ag Bullet (Twirling Candy) made the majority of the running in this event 12 months ago, yielding grudgingly to finish a length behind Sacred Wish (Not This Time) in third. That effort came on the back of a near-miss third in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, and the grey is arguably in the same sort of form, having run home gamely to round out a female exacta underneath 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Shisospicy (Mitole) in this year's Turf Sprint 29 days ago. Her connections turned down $2.9 million at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale earlier this month and the 3-1 morning-line choice breaches the $3-million threshold in earnings with at least a runner-up effort here.

Segesta (Ghostzapper) has twice gone within a length of Grade I glory, missing by three-parts of a length in the 2024 Belmont Oaks over 9 1/2 furlongs and failing by just a neck when last seen in Keeneland's First Lady Stakes over this trip on Oct. 4. Chad Brown has unsaddled the Matriarch winner six times in the last eight runnings, while Juddmonte Farm runners have prevailed on no fewer than seven occasions, including the Brown-conditioned Viadera (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) in 2022.

Vibez (Collected) hasn't had the best luck at the draw of late, finishing a half-length second in a local allowance from gate 10 of 10 July 31 and overcoming the 11 hole in a field of 12 and a wide passage to win the Oct. 13 Swingtime Stakes at Santa Anita. The last time the dark bay drew a favorable gate, she easily handled easier by better than three lengths here on Aug. 30 and she has the benefit of the four Sunday afternoon.

The first of the afternoon's features is the GIII Cecil B. DeMille Stakes, headed by the class-dropping Hey Nay Nay (Ire) (No Nay Never). A highly impressive winner of the five-furlong Tyro Stakes at Monmouth in August and of the GIII Del Mar Juvenile Turf over track and distance Sept. 7, the dark bay was the distant second betting choice in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Oct. 31, but overraced through the early stages and weakened out to finish 10th. He'll be sent from the widest alley in this field of seven, but there is stretchout speed inside of him.

Iriseach (Ire) (Ubettabelieveit {Ire}) has a puncher's chance as he looks to remain perfect going long. An even fourth in a six-furlong maiden at Santa Anita Oct. 12, he sat a good inside trip when tried over a mile in Arcadia Oct. 30 and game running late to cause an 18-1 upset. The race shape could flatter a runner with a come-from-behind profile.

Hope Road (Quality Road) is difficult to oppose in Sunday's GIII Bayakoa Stakes, a race she won by a half-length at 30 cents on the dollar last season. A repeat of that performance by this year's GI Ballerina Stakes heroine likely wins this, but it is fair to question whether the mile is her best gig and she was more than a little disappointing when a well-beaten third as the 11-10 pick in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Nov. 1.

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